Calm. Cool. Connected.

Calm, cool, connected; oh, what a feeling! However we all know it’s not so easy to keep this peace throughout our daily life.

Constant stimulation, comparison and expectations in line with supposedly desirable ‘achievements’ can all contribute to stress and anxiety. Often our surface emotions don’t even recognise the underlying stress due to the fast pace of our lives. And this is where anxiety can kick in.

I have learnt over the past few years how incredibly important it is to soothe ourselves before reaching this point. When we provide ourselves with a safe space to feel and be, we calm our whole system.

How do we create a safe space? Ritual, repetition and relaxation. If we are already on a thinking rollercoaster it’s no good being told to sit in meditation for half an hour, we need to allow the mind and body to communicate, therefore they must be travelling at the same speed. We can bring them into sync with one another by gently slowing the mind bit by bit.

Steady, gentle movements, combining the breath and body provides a focus for the mind and allows our spiralling thoughts to become centred. We can indulge in the simple pleasure of moving slowing, a method we so often neglect these days.

From here we can begin to slow down further by taking restorative postures. Only when we feel safe can we truly let go, so we take measures to find security, such as props to hold and protect the body, providing the opportunity for the mind to follow suit. We can still utilise methods of focus, my favourite being pranayama: breath control to align the breath and mind.

These are two wonderful approaches that you can practice at home. The real benefits come when you do this on a regular basis, not because you have to but because you recognise just how much it nourishes you and allows you to be the best version of yourself.

In my workshops we will work steadily through both of these practices, finding out exactly what works to align each unique individual and from there we will move into a yoga nidra (‘yogic sleep’). The powers of yoga nidra are almighty and will allow your potentially fragmented mind to be more present than ever.

I’d love you to join me on March 3rd for my Calm. Cool. Connected. workshop and enjoy the benefits of this special practice of yoga that is so close to my heart.